Launched to develop a better stent for treating bifurcated lesions, Stentys discovered its device appears to be effective in treating a larger unmet clinical need: acute myocardial infarction. This strategy shift holds great promise, but the company must convince physicians that its self-expanding stent will succeed where others have failed, and that it is superior to traditional stents from the major cardiovascular players.

Invatec has grown to be the leading native European interventional vascular device company and has now set its sights on the US market. By focusing first on peripherals and following with drug-eluting balloons, not stents, Invatec is looking to compete against the major device companies on their home turf.

Boston Scientific's unique two-drug strategy has propelled the company to a leadership position in drug-eluting stents with, according to some estimates, more than 50% of the market. Yet the company is not relying on the current configurations of or the current manufacturing approaches for its Taxus (using paclitaxel) and Promus (which employs everolimus) stents to sustain its position on top of this highly competitive product area. With its acquisition this month of Galway, Ireland-based Labcoat Ltd. (terms of which were not disclosed), BSC is laying the groundwork for technology that may well define its next generation of drug-eluting stents.